Department of the Interior Announces Task Force to Review Policing Standards

Secretary of the Department of the Interior (DOI) Deb Haaland signed a memo last week creating a task force to review law enforcement policies and procedures across the department. The memo cites the June 2021 Office of Inspector General (OIG) report “Review of U.S. Park Police Actions at Lafayette Park" as an impetus for the task force creation.

The OIG reviewed the action the U.S. Park Police (USPP) took to disperse protestors in and around Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C., on June 1, 2020. The report found USPP acted within their authority and discretion in responding to protestors, but also noted the law enforcement component did not have a detailed dispersal warning policy applicable to the situation which occurred on June 1 and did not use a shared radio channel to communicate with the Secret Service during the incident. The report noted that assisting law enforcement arrived late, may not have been fully briefed on dules of engagement, and relied on oral communication which could not be clearly heard.

Ultimately, the OIG noted, “These weaknesses in communication and coordination may have contributed to confusion during the operation and the use of tactics that appeared inconsistent with the incident commander’s operational plan. Given the lack of a specific policy, we recommend that the USPP develop a detailed policy for protests and other events of the type that occurred on June 1 and improve its field communication procedures to better manage multiagency operations.”

In response, Secretary Haaland issued a memo last week creating a task force led by the department’s Office of Law Enforcement and Security (OLES).

According to the memo, “Through an equity lens and utilizing evidence-based decision making, the task force will review and identify opportunities for improvement in our Bureaus' law enforcement programs. This task force will focus on ways to (1) strengthen trust in our law enforcement programs; (2) ensure appropriate policy and oversight is implemented; and (3) ensure supportive resources are available for officer mental health, wellness, and safety.”

The task force will include members from across the DOI’s law enforcement components, experts from the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Civil Rights, and from the Office of Human Capital at minimum. Task force members will serve on a full-time detail for up to 18 months.

Larry Cosme, President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, told FEDagent, “We appreciate that the task force will give law enforcement a seat at the table to ensure we have the top-tier policies and procedures in place to respond to homeland security threats and protect our nation’s important assets. Ensuring law enforcement have the resources and guidance to perform their mission should be a top priority of every agency and we welcome a review of our protocols to confirm they maximize public trust and heighten the professionalism of our dedicated officers and agents.”